All summer, the Tribeca Film Festival turns New York City into a film festival with new artists, visionary directors, and legendary movies. This year, from June 4th through June 15th, it’s shaping up to be one of its most compelling lineups yet. You know what? If you love the theater, so do we. If you just want to see what pop culture stuff will be taking over your life this summer, then this is your fest.
From personal documentaries and musical odysseys to gritty dramas and genre-bending thrillers – these are the films that critics, reviewers and insiders can’t get enough of. Here is a list of the 10 biggest films everyone is talking about at Tribeca Film Festival 2025 Movies List, a breakdown of the cast and why they matter.
1. Billy Joel: And So It Goes
| Director: Alex Gibney |
| Cast: Billy Joel, Christie Brinkley, Elton John (interviews), Paul McCartney (archive footage) |
| Genre: Music Documentary |
The film, in two corridor, created by Oscar- winning director Alex Gibney, offers a formerly- by-a-lifetime look at the life and heritage of one of America’s topmost vocalizers – Billy Joel. Featuring rare library footage, exclusive interviews, behind- the- scenes prints, and more, the talkie promises to go beyond the addict’s face, covering Joel’s career, connections, and particular struggles.
2. Something Beautiful
| Directors: Miley Cyrus & Harmony Korine |
| Cast: Miley Cyrus, Wayne Coyne, Tinashe, Billy Ray Cyrus |
| Genre: Visual Album / Musical Experimental |
Something Beautiful is a visual album by pop star Miley Cyrus and contemporary filmmaker Harmony Korine, both nominated for Best Picture. Iconic for its hypnotic cinematography, surreal storyline, and haunting soundtrack, Something Beautiful, explores fame, womanhood, and the renewal of creativity. Expect brilliant cinematography and emotionally affecting performances.
3.Matter of Time
| Director: Sam Jones |
| Cast: Eddie Vedder, Glen Hansard, Sean Penn (guest appearances) |
| Genre: Music Documentary |
Pearl Jam drummer Eddie Vedder dives right into the thick of it in this moving talkie about his recent benefit performances, as well as an extended regard into his decades-long trip as a musician and philanthropic . Kruan/ Channel 5 flicks‘ Sam Jones helms I Am Trying to Break Your Heart- good film that boasts soulful performances and touching paeans to the power of music..
4. Move Ya Body: The Birth of House
| Director: Elegance Bratton |
| Cast: Frankie Knuckles (archival), DJ Pierre, Honey Dijon, Derrick Carter |
| Genre: Historical Music Documentary |
House music rejoice! conflict is an stimulating talkie that explores the roots of the house music kidney from Chicago’s black and LGBTQ community. It’s a academy in and out of the party with flicks like these from the fibber Elegance Bratton of The examination and looks into the settlers and partygoers who turned beats into a worldwide movement.
5. Metallica Saved My Life
| Director: Joe Berlinger |
| Cast: Jason Mamoa, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Robert Trujillo, Kirk Hammett, |
| Genre: Rock Documentary |
Joe Berlinger returns to Metallica in an emotional homage to their pious addict base. The film will feature witnesses from sympathizers across the world who have set up inner strength and survival in the thundering sound of the band. The band members as well as the musicians offer their own introspective responses to the content of these witnesses.
6. Tow
| Director: Avan Jogia |
| Cast: Rose Byrne, Jharrel Jerome, Michaela Watkins, Jacob Tremblay |
| Genre: Social Drama |
Rose Byrne sags to the hard emotional verity of a mama who, having had her auto impounded ( no idea why, the bank is looking for cash), winds up on a hunt to find an indispensable casing in the involved maze of regulatory paper- work Tow offers an sapience into the ultramodern casing extremity and the adaptability of people at the edges.
7. The Best You Can
| Director: Kyra Sedgwick |
| Cast: Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Margaret Qualley, Nick Offerman |
| Genre: Romantic Dramedy |
This clever and deeply affecting romantic comedy stars real-life couple Kyra Sedgwick and Kevin Bacon as unlikely lovers fighting to bridge the gap between them, despite the fact that they are more than a decade apart. This charming, mature film makes it easy to understand what it’s like when two people you don’t particularly like fall for the first time.
8. One Spoon of Chocolate
| Director: RZA |
| Cast: Shameik Moore, Regina King, Forest Whitaker, LaKeith Stanfield |
| Genre: Neo-Noir Thriller |
One Spoon of Chocolate is a genre-bending revenge thriller, directed by Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA. The film takes place in a small Southern town, where an older man (Shameik Moore) returns to find out the truth behind his brother’s murder, all in an atmospheric mix of grimy cinematography, social commentary and powerful music.
9. A Tree Fell in the Woods
| Director: Anna D. Shapiro |
| Cast: Daveed Diggs, Josh Gad, Ashley Park, Phillipa Soo |
| Genre: Ensemble Musical Drama |
When a group of New York actors retreats to the countryside for a pandemic-era theater project, their relationships and creative boundaries begin to unravel. This unique narrative blends musical interludes with raw drama and plenty of Broadway flair. It’s a meditation on artistic identity and the need for connection in isolation.
10. Yanuni
| Director: Kátia Lund |
| Cast: Juma Xipaia, Leonardo DiCaprio |
| Genre: Environmental Documentary |
Produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, Yanuni follows Indigenous activist Juma Xipaia as she risks everything to protect her homeland from illegal logging and mining. Shot deep in the Amazon and told in the words of those living on the frontlines, this powerful documentary is a call to action for global environmental justice.
Why are These Movies Creating Buzz?
“Its ten films capture the emotional state of the world struggling with climate issues and housing insecurities intertwined with love, identity, and the ever-evolving influence of music.” According to the description from Tribeca Film Festival 2025 Movies List, It is not just about storytelling; it’s about changing dialogues, breaking conventions, and awakening change.
Hence, these projects are marked by their originality. Be it a boundary defying work of a pop star, a documentary by a war hero confronting a veteran’s injustice, or a community celebrating its identity, these movies tell stories that matter.
